


One Bug, Two Bug, Dead Bug, Blue Bug

by DoctorV



Series: Archive: Doc's Old-Ass Comics Fic (DC, JLU, etc.) [14]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DC Elseworlds, DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Justice League, Justice League International (Comic)
Genre: Culture Shock, First Kiss, Heartbreak, Infidelity, M/M, Ted Kord: Fashion Disaster, adapting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-16
Updated: 2005-12-16
Packaged: 2019-04-03 22:56:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14006661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorV/pseuds/DoctorV
Summary: Ted meets the Blue Beetle. Things go downhill from there.





	One Bug, Two Bug, Dead Bug, Blue Bug

**Author's Note:**

> Archiving some old old OLD fanfic of mine. This was originally posted to LiveJournal 12/16/2005, with the author's note:  
> "In this installment, we meet the Blue Beetle. So does Ted. Shenanigans! ^_^"
> 
> Added to Ao3 (but backdated): 03/27/2018

Of the time-traveling duo, Ted was the one to adjust better and faster to their new time. It was widely agreed that the man was a mechanical genius and a few of the more technologically-inclined superheroes loaned him numerous books on the advances made since his time. Ted went through them like the Flash did hotdogs on days that ended in y.

 

When he finished the final book, someone decided it would be a good idea to introduce Ted to the internet. For a solid week the man became an internet junkie.

 

Then Booster staged an intervention.

 

A _naked_ intervention.

 

Soon after, Ted learned time management.

 

One thing Ted didn't adjust well to was fashion. He tended to view it the way giant deep sea squid viewed dry land: that thing over there that we never visit unless someone with control over marine life takes away the option.

 

Ted's justification for that attitude was that he was surrounded by people in neon underwear, did he _really_ stand out in _anything_ he wore? It was difficult reasoning to argue with, and Ted mostly ignored any attempts to do so.

 

Booster, on the other hand, made little attempt to fit in. Even going so far as to flaunt his time traveler status. In deference to Ted's preference to keep quiet about his own origin, Booster did his best to downplay the wild west portion of his trip.

 

It still got out, of course. Though the specific details hadn't yet made their way to the mass media, rumor had it that Booster had brought someone to the current time from the past. They just had nothing in the way of a name or description, thanks to Ted's aversion to his rightful share of the limelight.

 

Booster did, occasionally, wonder if he had made the right choice bringing Ted with him. Granted, the man had more knowledge of the future than was probably either safe or healthy for someone to have in his home time, and he had gone from being shunned by the ignorant to accepted by peers. Still, after listening to prying whispers and seeing scornful looks, Booster did wonder.

 

Whenever Booster brought it up, however, Ted always had very definite opinions on the matter.

 

"Don't look at me like that— Dammit, Booster, I _made_ my choice! I chose to leave that crummy little town and come with you to where— _when_ ever we might end up. It's new and different and sometimes scary—"

 

"Ted—"

 

" _Booster_ , there are two ways that people who know about me _think_ about me. Either they forget because I'm a fast learner and can adapt, or they think of me as a...a _product of my time_!"

 

No one but Ted could put so much venom in that phrase. Hissed out through clenched teeth like a curse from a newly converted atheist upon a house of worship on a holy day.

 

The last hero to do a bad cowboy impression in front of Ted had gotten knocked out with one punch for his troubles. Actually, now that Booster thought of it, it had been that badly-dressed Green Lantern who almost crashed their time machine into a building.

 

"Booster...you're not like that. _Please_ , don't _become_ like that," Ted pleaded, goggles hanging around his neck so his eyes were big and blue and just a little damp.

 

Really, how could Booster argue with that?

 

* * *

 

Blue Beetle was one of the slightly more old school heroes. Still active and more than capable of saving the world or just kicking some butt, but more a member of the previous generation of heroes than the current one.

 

He was Ted's idol.

 

Booster wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Certainly Ted had previously shown a tendency toward obsession, but always for a reason.

 

* * *

 

"You're that new techno wizard from the past, aren't you?"

 

"Um...yes? I mean...sir? Yes. Um...."

 

"Relax, son. You don't have to be so nervous around me. Here...better?"

 

"Um, your...?"

 

"Are you going to return the favor?"

 

"Huh? Retur—Oh! _Oh_ , you mean my.... You mean my goggles? Sorry. Um. I forget sometimes."

 

"There, that's better. Don't worry, it happens to all of us sometimes."

 

"All of—? Oh, no I'm not one of— I mean, I'm not a—"

 

"I heard what you did with the 'Tower sensors last week. That was inspired. You can't tell me you're not a hero."

 

"I...thanks."

 

"Call me Dan."

 

"O-Okay...Dan. Um...I'm Ted."

 

* * *

 

Booster wasn't sure how or when, but the two had become fast friends. In fact they spent enough time together that there were jokes that Ted was Blue Beetle's sidekick.

 

Something about that made Booster feel a little twisty and cold inside. He was sure it was just unfounded jealousy, once he took the time to examine the feeling, but still...their friendship made him uneasy.

 

* * *

 

"Um...you—"

 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

 

"No, it's o— I mean. Well it's...I.... There's...um...."

 

"Ted, would you mind if I...."

 

"No, yeah. I...Dan? Mmm...."

 

"Ted?!"

 

"Mmph—Booster?!"

 

"What the _hell_ —?"

 

"I...It's not—"

 

"Just...don't even bother, Ted."

 

"Booster? Booster wait—!"

 

"I'm...so sorry, Ted. I never meant—"

 

"I know, I know. I-I should've—I shouldn't.... It's not your fault, Dan. I...."

 

"Have to go after him?"

 

"...I'm not sure I can."

 

"Are you sure, Ted?"

 

"It'll be hard to talk to him right now. And I...I'm not even sure what I would say."

 

"...Ted?"

 

"Dan, I...."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"...No."

 

"Mmh, Ted—"

 

"I'll figure it out later, Dan. Just...."

 

"Later. Okay. Mmm...."

 

* * *

 

Later, Dan "Blue Beetle" Garrett died in a battle with a nameless madman's giant robot. His body was never recovered.

 

* * *

 

Part of Ted's genius, Booster thought, was that once he got an idea he followed it through until he could make it reality. When he was fixing the time machine, Ted had had to learn entirely new concepts and invent a few more, as well as build many of the tools he needed just to work on it.

 

Maybe it was persistence, maybe it was just obsession. Whatever the case, Ted Kord succeeded at what he set out to do, no matter the obstacles.

 

So when a new hero showed up calling himself Blue Beetle, to honor the memory of the Blue Beetle before him, he said, Booster wasn't surprised.

 

Blue Beetle managed to take Ted from him twice.

 

That had to be some kind of record.


End file.
